PSE, Avangrid Renewables ink PPA for 150-MW of solar in Washington

March 15 (Renewables Now) - Washington state utility Puget Sound Energy (PSE) has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for the entire output of the 150-MW Lund Hill solar farm that Avangrid Renewables LLC is developing in the state’s Klickitat County.

Electricity from the Lund Hill plant will be available to customers that signed up for PSE’s Green Direct programme, which enables them to purchase energy from 100% renewable and local sources, according to a joint press release. The second round of the Green Direct initiative will consist of a wind-plus-solar mix with Lund Hill being the solar component.

The renewables unit of Avangrid Inc (NYSE:AGR) will invest more than USD 100 million (EUR 88.4m) to build Lund Hill. The solar plant will cover an area of around 1,800 acres (728.4 ha) of land leased from private citizens and the Washington Department of Natural Resources. Commercial operations are expected to begin in 2020.

Washington State is one of the participants in the Green Direct programme. Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced last October that eight state agencies would purchase over 100 GWh from locally built wind and solar projects by 2021.